New explosions expected at Crosby chemical plant

1of82The Arkema chemical plant is flooded from Tropical Storm Harvey Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Crosby, Texas. Floodwaters from Harvey have knocked out power and generators that keep volatile organic peroxides stored at the facility cool. Employees and about 300 homes within a mile and half radius of the plant were evacuated Tuesday.Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

2of82Richard Rennard, president of the acrylic monomers division at Arkema, talks to media about the explosion of organic peroxide inside the plant Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Crosby,Texas.Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

3of82Frances Breaux tears up as she looked for photos of her close friends and neighbors Leo and Lajayne Opelia, both in their 70s, to show members of the media. She hasn't being able to reach them since last night, before the organic peroxides inside the Arkema chemical plant exploded Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Crosby, Texas. The Opelias were mandatorily evacuated from their homes by officials but they decided to sneak back in their home.Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez

4of82The Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, Texas.Photo: Google Maps

5of82Trucks make their way through flood waters on a main road leading to the Arkema Inc. chemical plant that was in crisis during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey on August 30, 2017 in Crosby, Texas.Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

6of82People and rescue boats line Tidwell at the east Sam Houston Tollway as rescues continue from flooding following Hurricane Harvey Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston.Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

7of82Ron Black walks down a flooded street to get to his house after Tropical Storm Harvey Friday, Sept. 1, 2017 in Sienna Plantation.Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

9of82Mailboxes are inundated by Brazos River flooding along Newlin Drive in Richmond on Friday. Several areas are still dealing with high waters related to Harvey.Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

11of82SPCA employee Lucky Louden loads a cat into a crate as employees and volunteers of the Houston SPCA load up more than 100 adoptable dogs and cats into a truck with the help of the Austin Humane Society and others, Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Houston, to be sent to Atlanta, to make room for an onslaught of animal Tropical Storm Harvey victims.Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle

12of82Employees and volunteers of the Houston SPCA load up more than 100 adoptable dogs and cats into a truck with the help of the Austin Humane Society and others, Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Houston, to be sent to Atlanta, to make room for an onslaught of animal Tropical Storm Harvey victims.Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle

13of82Mackenzie Breeding, 9, of Tomball carries a bag of clothing past pews filled with diapers, as volunteers organize donations at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 15415 N. Eldridge, Wednesday, August 30, 2017 in Cypress. More than 120 people were temporarily sheltered at the church during flooding. There is an outpouring of donations after Hurricane Harvey.Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

14of82Frances Breaux wipes tears from her face after talking to media about her close friends and neighbors Leo and Lajayne Opelia, both in their 70s, whom she hasn't being able to reach since last night, before the organic peroxides inside the Arkema chemical plant exploded Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Crosby, Texas. The Opelias were mandatorily evacuated from their homes by officials but they decided to sneak back in their home.Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

15of82Harris County Fire Marshal Assistant Chief Bob Royall , center, and Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez talk to media about the explosion of organic peroxides at th Arkema chemical plant during a press conference outside the Crosby Fire Department Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Crosby, Texas. Fifteen Harris County Sheriff Office deputies that first responded to the fire at the plant were sent to the hospital eight have been released.Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

17of82Floodwaters from the Addicks Reservoir inundate a neighborhood off N. Eldridge Parkway in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

18of82Columbia Lakes resident Kyle Butler throws sandbags into a truck bed to help shored up wall from overflowing into their subdivision Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in West Columbia.Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle

19of82Floodwaters fill the road running through the Lakes On Eldridge North subdivision in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

20of82Saltwater Salvage diver Justin Hendrickson prepares to dive near the Columbia Lakes subdivision Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in West Columbia. Hendrickson was walked to the dive spot by fellow diver Dave Oltroge before he dove to shut a levee gate value to prevent more flooding to the neighborhood.Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle

22of82Floodwaters fill the road running through the Lakes On Eldridge North subdivision in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

23of82Shaqualia Watkins comforts her one-month-old daughter, Kamarii, as she and other evacuees visit the area of NRG Center, where the goods, toys, snacks and clothing where being distributed for the 2500 people sheltering there, who were affected by Tropical Storm Harvey, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston.Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle

24of82The Houston Texans gathered their luggage after getting off buses at NRG Stadium, after traveling from Dallas, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston. Houston flew last week to New Orleans, then to the Dallas area, and was originally scheduled to play the Cowboys at NRG Stadium, but destruction by Hurricane Harvey and flooding from Tropical Storm Harvey. Texans were going to play the game Thursday in Dallas, but the NFL cancelled that game.Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle

25of82Houston Texans J.J. Watt talks on the phone after he and the team got off buses at NRG Stadium, after traveling from Dallas, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston. Houston flew last week to New Orleans, then to the Dallas area, and was originally scheduled to play the Cowboys at NRG Stadium, but destruction by Hurricane Harvey and flooding from Tropical Storm Harvey. Texans were going to play the game Thursday in Dallas, but the NFL cancelled that game.Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle

26of82Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Rick Johnson pauses to listen for people's voices as they search for people in a neighborhood inundated by water from the Addicks Reservoir, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston.Photo: Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle

27of82Tiffany Carroll waits anxiously by the entrance to her neighborhood, where water from the Addicks Reservoir has risen quickly, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston.Photo: Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle

28of82Mike Stamps in his home in the Kingwood Greens Subdivision flooded from the San Jacinto River due to Tropical Storm Harvey, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Kingwood. Stamps was there to retrieve his two cats , who had to be left behind, as he was evacuated on a jet ski Tuesday.Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle

30of82Shiann Barker holds her nephew, Brayln Matthews Sims Jr., 1, between cots at the George R. Brown Convention Center where nearly 10,000 people are taking shelter after Tropical Storm Harvey Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017 in Houston. They have ben at the shelter since Sunday after they evacuated from the Clayton Homes neighborhood.Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

31of82Family members react as a van is pulled out of the Greens Bayou with the bodies of six family members on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston. The van was carried into the bayou during Tropical Storm Harvey as the water went over the bridge.Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

32of82Family members react as a van is pulled out of the Greens Bayou with the bodies of six family members on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston. The van was carried into the bayou during Tropical Storm Harvey as the water went over the bridge.Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

33of82Family members react as a van is pulled out of the Greens Bayou with the bodies of six family members on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston. The van was carried into the bayou during Tropical Storm Harvey as the water went over the bridge.Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

34of82Volunteer Paige Atkinson sorts donated clothing at NRG Center, which opened its doors to a capacity of 10,000 evacuees in the wake of Tropical Storm Harvey Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017 in Houston.Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

35of82Robert Spooner, a US Customs and Border patrol officer, from Tomball, center, and other volunteers work to prepare boats to help people in the Lakewood area along Cypresswood Wednesday, August 30, 2017 in Houston. Much of the Houston area was flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

36of82Susan Henney tosses wet carpet as she helps her neighbors clean up from flooding in the Lakewood Forest subdivision Wednesday, August 30, 2017 in Houston. Much of the Houston area was flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

37of82Danny Hannon carries his dry cowboy boots in his backpack as he goes to check his home in the Lakewood Crossing subdivision off Cypresswood Wednesday, August 30, 2017 in Houston. He had almost two feet of water the night before inside his home. Much of the Houston area was flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

38of82People line up to volunteer at NRG Center, which opened its doors to a capacity of 10,000 evacuees in the wake of Tropical Storm Harvey Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017 in Houston.Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

39of82Kenny Licona, left, cleans out his flooded out home in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Spring, Texas.Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

41of82Volunteers man a food and water line at NRG Center, which opened its doors to a capacity of 10,000 evacuees in the wake of Tropical Storm Harvey Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017 in Houston.Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

43of82People line up to volunteer at NRG Center, which opened its doors to a capacity of 10,000 evacuees in the wake of Tropical Storm Harvey Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017 in Houston.Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

44of82Johnny Colunga feeds his pet monkey "Prince" as they take refuge in the Max Bowl, which was converted to a shelter for those displaced by flooding in Port Arthur. Photo taken Wednesday, August 30, 2017 Kim Brent/The EnterprisePhoto: Kim Brent, Beaumont Enterprise

46of82Kathryn Loder sorts donated clothing at George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston as Tropical Storm Harvey inches its way through the area on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017.Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

47of82Nathan Gamez, 2, is pulled by his dad, Carlos Herrara after picking up supplies from the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston as Tropical Storm Harvey inches its way through the area on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017.Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

48of82A boat lets off people being evacuated from floodwaters left by Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

49of82Chris Gutierrez, second from right, helps his grandmother, Edelmira Gutierrez, down the stairs of their flooded house and into a waiting fire department truck as Addicks Reservoir surpasses capacity due to near constant rain from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Houston.Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

50of82Volunteer rescuers evacuate people from the Georgetown Colony neighborhood on a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck, which was used as a prop in the latest Planet of the Apes movie, as Addicks Reservoir surpasses capacity due to near constant rain from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Houston.Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

51of82Members of the National Guard help evacuees from the Georgetown Colony neighborhood out of a fire department vehicle as Addicks Reservoir surpasses capacity due to near constant rain from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Houston.Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

54of82Volunteers bring in donations into Lakewood Church now that the church has turned into a shelter for the Tropical Storm Harvey evacuees, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston. ( Marie D. De Jesus / Houston Chronicle )Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle

55of82Cilla Padron, from Corpus Christi, takes a nap in the lobby of the SpringHill Suites hotel Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Rosenberg, Texas. Padron and her friends worked most of the previous day helping rescue people from flooded neighborhoods.Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

56of82Armando Argueta, who performs as "Kapuchino," performs a magic trick for children at a Red Cross shelter at W. W. Thorne Stadium, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston. "We wanted to let the children forget what had happened," his wife Betty said.Photo: Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle

59of82Stephanie Vu, left, reacts after being rescued after falling in deep water as she evacuates with her parents from the Savannah Estates neighborhood as Addicks Reservoir nears capacity Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Houston.Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

60of82A flares at Shell is shown along with other complexes along 146 Tuesday, August 29, 2017 in Deer Park. Several plants shut down due to Hurricane Harvey.Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

61of82Boirs Salazar paddles a surfing board to play in flood water with his brother and a friend at the intersection of Broadway Avenue and 15th Street on Tuesday, August 29, 2017, in Galveston.Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle

62of82Grant Braswell, from front, Shayne Hofstetter and John Hall have a good time tubing in flood water at the intersection of Moody Avenue and Postofdice Street on Tuesday, August 29, 2017, in Galveston. Some parts of the downtown section had flood water more than waist-deep.Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle

65of82A woman carries her dogs as she is evacuated from the Twin Lakes neighborhood with her family as Addicks Reservoir nears capacity due to near constant rain from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Houston.Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

66of82Residents of the Cinco Ranch and Kelliwood areas of Ft. Bend and Harris Counties evacuate from the west side of the Barker Reservoir along Westheimer Parkway in Katy, TX on August 29, 2017.Photo: Craig Moseley, Houston Chronicle

68of82Fluids from a submerged vehicle rise to the surface at the intersection of the Hardy Toll Road and the Sam Houston Tollway, as heavy rains continue from Tropical Storm Harvey, Tuesday August 29, 2017, in Houston. Sgt. Steve Perez, 56, reportedly drowned in his patrol car at the intersection while on his way to work. He was a 30-year veteran of the HPD. Photo: Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle

69of82Maria Dardon pauses at the intersection of the Hardy Toll Road and the Sam Houston Tollway, as heavy rains continue from Tropical Storm Harvey, Tuesday August 29, 2017, in Houston. Sgt. Steve Perez, 56, reportedly drowned in his patrol car at the intersection while on his way to work. He was a 30-year veteran of the HPD. Photo: Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle

70of82A submerged vehicle is seen at the intersection of the Hardy Toll Road and the Sam Houston Tollway, as heavy rains continue from Tropical Storm Harvey, Tuesday August 29, 2017, in Houston. An HPD officer reportedly drowned in his patrol car at the intersection while on his way to work.Photo: Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle

71of82People displaced by Tropical Storm Harvey take shelter in the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston as Tropical Storm Harvey inches its way through the area on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017.Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

72of82Nathan Gamez, 2, is pulled by his dad, Carlos Herrara after picking up supplies from the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston as Tropical Storm Harvey inches its way through the area on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017.Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

73of82Don and Peg Sauter celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary on August 22. The two have moved from their assisted living home to the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston as Tropical Storm Harvey inches its way through the area on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017.Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

74of82A volunteer sorts the donations delivered to Lakewood Church now that the church has turned into a shelter for the Tropical Storm Harvey evacuees, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston. ( Marie D. De Jesus / Houston Chronicle )Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Staff

75of82Flood victims are evacuated by boat from their neighborhood near the Addicks Reservoir as floodwaters rise from Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

76of82A line of airplanes are surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

77of82Flood victims are evacuated by boat from their neighborhood near the Addicks Reservoir as floodwaters rise from Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

81of82Sid Abdilahi, 31, gives his two-year-old niece, Bamas, a piggyback ride inside the Spring Hill Suites hotel Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Rosenberg, Texas. "I'm just trying to keep my family's spirits up," said Abdilahi. "She's my world," he added. Abdilahi and his family, six total, were evacuated from their Richmond home by the Fort Bend Fire Department Monday morning and were first taken to B.F. Terry High School, one of the local shelters. With his mom, who's 70, Abdilahi opted for looking for a close by hotel that still had open rooms.Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

The first of nine failing freezer trailers filled with volatile chemicals exploded early Thursday at the problem-plagued Arkema plant in Crosby, sending a plume of black smoke into the community east of Houston and setting off a round-the-clock watch for inevitable explosions to come.

The initial blast about 1 a.m. Thursday sent 15 Harris County sheriff's deputies to the hospital after they inhaled fumes and got smoke in their eyes, but all were discharged by Thursday afternoon.

Crosby officials had been bracing for days for explosions at the plant after six feet of floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey knocked out power and generators needed to keep the volatile organic peroxides — used in making plastics and rubber — stored at the facility cool. The chemicals explode if they get too warm, officials said.

The explosion left unanswered questions about how contingency plans failed to keep the chemicals cool and how dangerous the fallout could be to a sprawling metropolitan area recovering from the biggest rain event in continental U.S. history.

In 2006, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality cited Arkema for a fire caused by improperly stored organic peroxides. In 2011, the same plant was cited for failing to maintain proper temperatures of its thermal oxidizer.

In 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Arkema $91,724 after finding 10 violations at the Crosby site, many involving the mishandling of hazardous materials.

Arkema's CEO Richard Rowe said earlier this week that the company spent millions of dollars on upgrades after the fines and believed all issues cited in the inspections had been addressed.

The Houston area is home to more than 2,500 chemical facilities. An investigation by the Houston Chronicle in 2016 found 55 facilities — including Arkema — with a high potential for harm to the public, based on an analysis performed in conjunction with the Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center at Texas A&M University. The study factored risks based on the amount and type of dangerous chemicals on site and their proximity to the public.

At least 13 of the facilities with the highest potential for harm lie within the 100-year flood plain. The Arkema plant lies within the 500-year flood plain, according to a Chronicle analysis.

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A Houston-area chemical plant that lost power after Harvey engulfed the area in extensive floods was rocked by two explosions early Thursday, the plant's operator said. (Aug. 31)

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Arkema officials wouldn't say the company had the ability to neutralize the chemicals before the situation became so volatile, and wouldn't answer questions about whether the back-up generators were elevated before the storm hit the area late Saturday.

Rennard said that other highly toxic chemicals on the site were in a "remote location," far from the exploding organic peroxides. Officials had not provided a requested map of the facility by late Thursday.

The Arkema plant lost power late Monday, knocking out the primary supply and back-up generators and forcing employees to move the organic peroxides into 18-wheeler box vans with cooling systems.

One employee was evacuated Monday night. Eleven other employees were evacuated Tuesday when the refrigeration in the back-up containers also began to fail.

Local officials ordered the evacuation of residents after seeing the chemical inventories for the facility, which the company has not publicly released. Company officials said they expected the refrigeration to fail in all the trailers and that additional explosions were inevitable.

The incident came as chemical facilities throughout the Houston area began drying out and restarting facilities that had been shut down as Hurricane Harvey approached last week.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board issued a safety alert Thursday urging the facilities to take special precautions as they resumed operations.

"Restarting a refinery poses a significant safety risk," CSB Chairperson Vanessa Allen Sutherland said in a statement. "When operators follow established startup procedures and checklists, it reduces the risk to a catastrophic accident that could cost lives and incur substantial product disruptions."

The environmental damage from those startups can be enormous.

About 2 million pounds of emissions have been released during Harvey-related shutdowns and incidents, compared to more than 5.2 million pounds all of last year. Emissions from Aug. 23 through Monday in the Houston area represented nearly 40 percent of the region's releases for all of 2016, based on pounds of chemicals, according to Luke Metzger, director of the advocacy group Environment Texas.

Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a relaxing of state environmental reporting laws during Hurricane Harvey, and companies are still reporting leaks and other incidents voluntarily, according to TCEQ spokesperson Andrea Morrow.

Among those voluntary reports was a roof collapse at an ExxonMobil facility in Baytown that caused the release of more than 12,000 pounds of material.

In Crosby, neighbors in and around the evacuation zone remained worried Thursday, saying they had received little official information and a lack of a clear perimeter.

"But homes two miles away are safe?" asked Alicia Garcia, who had recently returned to the family's home about four miles away after evacuating Sunday because of flooding.

At least one couple didn't leave. Leo and Lajayne Opelia, who are in their 70s, texted friend Frances Breaux that they intended to stay.

"And if they didn't make it, they loved us," Breaux said.

Harvey aftermath: Chemical plants imperiled

Hurricane Harvey's winds and floodwaters have created emergencies at chemical facilities across the Houston area, from an Exxon Mobil roof collapse at its massive Baytown complex to the risk of an explosion at a chemical plant northeast of Houston. We combined our Chemical Breakdown risk map, based on a facility's potential for harm, with the region's 100-year floodplains. Type in a Harris County address in the search bar above to view which sites with "potential for harm" fall within a two-mile radius of that address.

Deputies wouldn't allow Breaux into the neighborhood Thursday to check on the couple.

"You know how older people are," she said. "They just don't want to leave their place."

"What was the basis of the blast zone? How was that calculated? How was safety taken into consideration? Do they expect a mile-and-a-half radius? Are they taking a fudge factor into account? Did they consider the wind? What was the fail-safe program they had?" he asked. "It seems like they're trying to save the product and risk the residents."

CHEMICAL BREAKDOWN: In November 2014, four workers died at a DuPont plant in La Porte after being exposed to a toxic gas. Responding emergency workers weren't sure what was in the air. The surrounding community wasn't, either. A Houston Chronicle investigation dives deep into Houston's hidden world of explosions and toxic releases and probes the regulatory failures that put us in jeopardy. Click here to read our series.